Rocking attachment to chairs



J. REIGHE. Rocking Attachment to Chairs.

No. 226,420. Patented April 13,1880.

iifiiz'ess as N.PETRS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGYON, D 04 UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

JULIUS REIOHE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW

ROCKING ATTACHMENT TO CHAIRS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 226,420, dated April 13, 1880.

I Application filed June 3, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS REIOHE, of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rocking Attachments to Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top view of my improved rocking attachment for chairs. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on line a: 90, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a detail side view of the end of a rocker. showing the adjustable clamping device for the chair-leg.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention has reference to an improved rocking attachment for chairs, by which any common chair may be readily converted into a rocking-chair.

The attachment may be used in connection with any chair having four legs, whatex er be the longitudinal and lateral distance of the legs, the same furnishing thereby the advantages of a rocking-chair wherever and whenever desired.

The invention consists of two rockers that are connected by means of transverse interlocking arms and clamping devices, by which the rockers may be secured parallel to or converging toward each other. At both ends of the rockers are oblong cups or boxes for supporting the chair-legs. Adjustable clamping devices secure the rigid position of the legs in the cups. A foot-board is supported on fixed bracket-rods of the rockers and on transverse eye-rods that slide in socket-holes of the footboard. The eyebolts slide on the bracketrods, and drop into notches of the latter when the foot-board is drawn out for use.

Referring to the drawings, A A represent the rockers of my improved rocking attachment for chairs of all kinds. These rockers are made in plain or fancy style, and are transversely connected by fixed interlocking arms B, which are connected by a clamping center bolt, a, that passes through both arms and serves as a pivot for the rocker-arms and for rigidly clamping the arms to each other. One of these arms is slotted to admit the adjustment of the rockers in lateral direction to the required distance from each other. The rockers may be connected by one or more trans verse arms, B, according to their size, their pivot and clamp bolt or bolts serving to admit the lateral adjustment of the rockers and their position parallel or converging to each other, so that the rockers may be readily adjusted to the exact transverse distance between the chair-legs.

The rockers are provided at both ends with sheet or cast metal cups or boxes 0, which are firmly secured to the inside of the rockers, the front boxes being preferably shorter while the rear boxes are longer. The front boxes are also arranged with L1]l)WL1dl Y-Xt6lldll]g guardpieces I), against which the front legs are placed, and which serve, furthermore, to hide the connection between the legs and rockers to some extent. The greater length of the rear boxes provides for the distance between the front and hind legs'of the chairs. In place of fixed cups or boxes of different sizes the boxes may be made only large enough to receive the chair-legs, in which case the cups require to be made adjustable in guides or slots of the rockers. I prefer, however, the fixed cups, as thereby greater rigidity and simplicity in the construction of the attachment are obtained. The rockers are further provided above the boxes 0 with suitable clamping devices D, which are adjustable in slots at of the rockers. By the clamping devices D the chair-legs are rigidly secured to the rockers and supporting-boxes. By properly adjusting the rockers to the legs and clamping first the connecting-arms of the rockers firmly to each other, and then the rockers to the chair-legs, any chair may be changed by this attachment in a strong and reliable manner to a rocking-chair.

The attachment may be used in connection with or without a foot-board. If a foot-board is used it has to be so constructed that it will not interfere with the lateral adjustment of 5 supported on fixed longitudinal bracket-rods f of the rockers, which rods admit the forward or backward motion of the foot-board, according as it is to be drawn out for use or pushed back after use.

The front portions of the bracket-rods are notched, so that the eyes of the front bolts may drop into the notches, and thus lock the foot-board in different positions, as desired.

The foot-board facilitates the rocking motion,

as the weight of the body may be thrown a1- ternately on the back of the chair or on the foot-board. The rockers may also be made in simple form, one independently of the other, Without any transverse connection. In this case each rocker is attached by its boxes and clamping devices, respectively, to a front and rear leg of the chair, though I prefer the transverse connection, as thereby a lateral bracing of the rockers is obtained and less strain exerted on the chair-frame.

The attachment furnishes the comfort of a rocking-chair wherever desired, as any common chair is quickly converted into a rocking chair. The attachment is easily shipped and applied, and forms a useful and convenient rocking arrangement for use in every household.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A rocking attachment to chairs consisting of rockers provided with adjustable front and rear attaching devices for the chair-legs, and with fixed transverse arms connected by a clamping and pivoted device to admit the adjustment of the rockers in lateral and longitudinal direction for any size of chair, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of rockers A, having fixed transverse and interlocking arms B, with a central clamping and pivoting device to admit the parallel or converging adjustment of the rockers, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the laterally-adjustable rockers A with a sliding foot board, E, that is supported on transverse eye-rods, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of laterally-adjustable rockers A, having fixed and notched bracketrods f, with a sliding foot-board, E E, having transverse socket-holes, and with transverse supporting eye-rods e, that slide along the bracket-rods and admit the forward and backward adjustment of the foot-board, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this th day of May, 1879.

JULIUS REICHE.

Witnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL,

CARL KARP. 

